Ever since she got to know Zhang Qingyuan, he had constantly instilled in her the philosophy that one should live for oneself. She increasingly realized that her previous life had truly been lived in vain, all for the sake of her children. But in the end, not one of her children acknowledged her, nor did any of them take care of her. Her savings might as well be used by herself, spent by herself. Zhang Qingyuan had even started to coax her, talking about secretly saving some money together to get remarried.
"Sue them?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Mu couldnât help but be astonished.
He hadnât expected Feng Cuihua to already be considering filing a lawsuit against her four sons.
"Exactly! Sue them! Whatâs the use of keeping people like that around if you donât sue?" Zhang Qingyuan, however, clearly relished the drama and snorted coldly. "Itâs been four years, and they havenât given Cuihua a dime. That has to be illegal, right?"
"Iâve already discussed it with Cuihua; they must pay support payments. Plus, with the money my son gives, once weâre married, weâll have a wedding in the courtyard, and Xiao Qin can officiate!" he continued, beginning to dream aloud about their beautiful future together.
The cloying aroma of their budding romance filled the air before Qin Mu.
Feng Cuihua also gazed at Zhang Qingyuan with deep affection, her face full of sweetness and happiness.
Witnessing this scene, a few black lines appeared on Qin Muâs forehead.
Zhang Qingyuan was seventy-eight this year, and Feng Cuihua seventy-five.
Their combined age is well over one hundred and fifty years, yet theyâve actually sparked a flame of love. And they even specifically asked me to officiate their wedding!
"Are you... really planning to sue?" Qin Mu asked after a moment, taking a deep breath and looking intently at Feng Cuihua.
Feng Cuihua nodded. "Before I met Brother Zhang, I thought my children and their families were everything to me. But now I know that we elderly people can also have our own lives." As she spoke, she turned to look at Zhang Qingyuan with great admiration. "Brother Zhang is my role model. Iâve heard he often attends court hearings and files lawsuits. Even the judges look at him with new respect and often ask for his advice on handling cases."
"We may be old, but we can still live our own lives," she finished.
No sooner had she finished speaking than Qin Mu found himself widening his eyes, staring at Zhang Qingyuan.
Thatâs some serious boasting... a bit over the top, really. One of them is bold enough to boast, and the other is bold enough to believe it!
Zhang Qingyuan, feeling Qin Muâs gaze, blushed and coughed hastily, looking quite sheepish. "Ahem, Xiao Qin, please think of something quickly. Help Cuihua out."
Qin Mu rolled his eyes but still pondered seriously before saying, "Actually, itâs not that difficult to obtain support payments."
He recalled the "Law on the Protection of the Rights and Interests of the Elderly."
Article 14 states that supporters must fulfill their responsibilities of providing economic support, daily care, and emotional consolation to the elderly, attending to their special needs. Supporters refer to the children of the elderly and other persons legally obliged to provide support. The spouse of a supporter should assist in fulfilling this duty.
While itâs common to see young people reluctant to take on these responsibilities, that doesnât make their behavior legal. Feng Cuihuaâs four sons havenât fulfilled their support obligations in her old age. They werenât by her side to care for her, nor did they make any support payments. All of this serves as concrete evidence. If she files a lawsuit... the support payments are definitely obtainable. And there are lawyers readily available at the nursing home. Plus, with my guidance, Wang Dachui could definitely help win this case.
"However... after all, youâre family," Qin Mu said, pausing before earnestly adding, "I still suggest that before you sue, you notify your sons first."
In family lawsuits, the court generally attempts mediation first. Such cases are also relatively rare; itâs very unusual for parents to sue their children.
Feng Cuihua nodded after hearing him and picked up her phone. She first called her eldest son.
"BEEP BEEP BEEP..."
Seconds later, the call connected. The voice of a man in his fifties came through, sounding rather impatient. "What is it? Why are you calling again? Arenât you doing just fine in the nursing home? Didnât you say you didnât need us anymore?"
There was not the slightest respect in his tone.
Feng Cuihua seemed accustomed to this. Instead, she stated her purpose directly, "Eldest, I... I want you all to contribute to support payments. Iâve consulted a very capable person, and if you donât pay, Iâll have no choice but to sue you!"
However, before she could finish, the voice on the other end chuckled coldly. "Mom, we had an agreement back then. You paid your own way to the nursing home. We wouldnât ask you for money, and you wouldnât ask us for money. What, are you out of money now?"
"Donât try to scare me. Itâs not that Iâm against paying support, but why should I be the one to pay everything?"
"When we were kids, you favored the second and third sons the most. Go ask them for it."
"If theyâre willing to pay their share, Iâd definitely chip in. Since they havenât paid a penny, why should I be the one to foot the entire bill?"
After saying his piece, the eldest son hung up abruptly, as if he had nothing more to say. As for Feng Cuihuaâs warning, he hadnât taken it seriously at all.
"BEEP BEEP BEEP..."
Listening to the busy signal, Feng Cuihuaâs expression turned ugly, her body trembling slightly with anger. But she managed to compose herself, took a deep breath, and dialed her second sonâs number.
"Hello? Second, itâs Mom. I wanted to ask you about the support payments..."
But before she could finishâ